Video transmission and processing system for generating a user mosaic
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a transmission system and a processing system for video signals relating to TV programs, for the purpose of constructing a mosaic of TV programs displayed on a user's television set, allowing him to select a particular TV program quickly and in a relevant manner via a menu.
1. A video transmission system comprising:
a first encoder that is configured to provide a plurality of coded video signals, each coded video signal corresponding to each of a plurality of input video signals,
a second encoder that is configured to provide a plurality of encoded sub-sampled video signals, each coded sub-sampled video signal corresponding to each input video signal,
a combiner that is configured to associate a descriptor that characterizes each corresponding input video signal to each coded sub-sampled video signal,
a multiplexer that is configured to multiplex the plurality of coded video signals with the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals associated with their descriptors to provide the output video signal such that each coded video signal and each coded sub-sampled video signal is independently accessible in the output video signal.
2. A video transmission system comprising:
a demultiplexer that is configured to generate a plurality of coded video signals from an input video signal,
a transcoder that is configured to supply a plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals, each coded sub-sampled video signal corresponding to each coded video signal,
a combiner that is configured to associate a descriptor that characterizes the corresponding coded video signal with each coded sub-sampled video signal,
a multiplexer that is configured to multiplex the input video signal with the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals associated with their descriptors to provide the output video signal such that each coded video signal and each sub-sampled video signal is independently accessible in the output video signal.
3. A video processing system comprising:
a demultiplexer that is configured to demultiplex an input video signal to provide a plurality of coded video signals and a plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals corresponding to the plurality of coded video signals,
a decoder that is configured to decode the coded video signals to provide decoded video signals that can be displayed on a screen,
a data descriptor being associated with each coded sub-sampled signal in order to characterize each coded sub-sampled signal,
that is configured to store the data descriptors and to identify each coded sub-sampled video signal based on the data descriptor, and
an image compositor that is configured to create a mosaic from a select group of sub-sampled video signals selected from the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals based on a user request and the data descriptors.
4. The video processing ofsystem claim 3 , wherein the image compositor includes:
an other demultiplexer that is configured to generate selected coded sub-sampled video signals,
an other decoder that is configured to generate a decoded sub-sampled video signal from each selected coded sub-sampled video signal, and
a video composer that is configured to compose the mosaic from the decoded sub-sampled video signals, the mosaic being capable of being displayed on the screen.
5. The video processing system of claim 4 , including a request generator that is configured to provide the user request based on a selection by a user from a menu displayed on the screen.
6. The video processing system of claim 4 , wherein the user request originates from a user profile.
7. The video processing system of claim 4 , including a graphic interface that facilitates selection of the select group of sub-sampled video signals from the group of sub-sampled video signals displayed on the screen.
8. The video processing system of claim 5 , including a user interface that facilitates selecting a sub-sampled video signal of the displayed mosaic to effect a full-screen display of the corresponding decoded video signal.
9. A receiver for a television set comprising the video processing system of claim 3 .
10. The video processing system of claim 6 , including a user interface that facilitates selecting a sub-sampled video signal of the displayed mosaic to effect a full-screen display of the corresponding decoded video signal.
11. The video processing system of claim 7 , including a user interface that facilitates selecting a sub-sampled video signal of the displayed mosaic to effect a full-screen display of the corresponding decoded video signal.
12. A digital signal comprising:
a plurality of primary video signals coded in accordance with an MPEG-2 standard,
a plurality of secondary video signals coded in accordance with an MPEG-4 standard, each secondary video signal being obtained successively by sub-sampling and encoding each primary video signal, and
a descriptor corresponding to each secondary signal characterizing the corresponding primary video signal.
13. A video transmission method comprising:
supplying a plurality of coded video signals from a plurality of input video signals,
supplying a plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals, each sub-sampled vide signal corresponding to each input video signal,
a descriptor characterizing the corresponding input video signal with each coded sub-sampled video signal,
multiplexing the plurality of coded video signals with the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals associated with their additional data to provide an output video signal.
14. A computer program that is configured to execute the method of claim 13 when the program is executed by a signal processor implemented in a video transmission system.
15. A video transmission method comprising:
demultiplexing an input video signal to provide a plurality of coded video signals,
supplying a coded sub-sampled video signal from each coded video signal,
associating a descriptor characterizing the corresponding coded video signal with each coded sub-sampled video signal,
multiplexing the input video signal with the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals associated with their descriptors to provide an output video signal.
16. A computer program that is configured to execute the method of claim 15 when the program is executed by a signal processor implemented in a video transmission system.
17. A video processing method including:
generating a plurality of coded video signals from an input video signal,
decoding the coded video signals to provide decoded video signals for display on a screen,
generating a plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals from the input video signal, each coded sub-sampled video signal corresponding to a sub-sampling of each coded video signal, a data descriptor being associated with each sub-sampled signal that characterizes the coded video signal,
creating a database in which to store the data descriptors and identify the corresponding coded sub-sampled video signal,
creating a mosaic from a select group of sub-sampled video signals selected from the plurality of coded sub-sampled video signals based on the data descriptors and a user request.
18. A computer program that is configured to execute the method of claim 17 when the program is executed by a signal processor implemented in a video processing system.